Feed-regulator.



R. V. GRAGGS.

FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1911.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

z Zfizzizesses/ R. V. GRAGGS.

FEED REGULATOR.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1911.

1,054,509. Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WZ 292 66666 Zizven for E a W 12066 (J Cra y ya UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSS VERNON CRAGGS, OF GAINSBOROUGH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO RICHARD HARVEY WRIGHT, 0F DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA.

FEED-REGULATOR.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, Ross VERNON CRAGGS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Gainsborough, England, and whose post-office address is Albion Works, Gainsborough, in the county of Lincoln, England, engineer, have invented a certain new and useful Feed-Regulator, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to hoppers or tanks for feedin granular and pulverulent materials in ulk to apparatus for weighing or filling and pack g such materials into receptaclesor for dealing with the materials in other ways, and it consists in improvements having for their object to prevent the bridging or packing of the material within the hopper so as to insure a steady bulk -flow t0 the apparatus cooperatively conscrapers in close proximity to the walls of the hopper, but such devices have not nected with the hopper. It has been previously proposed, for the purpose stated, to provide the hopper with a continuously revolving stirrer arranged either near its mouth or along the axis of the hopper and in the latter case furnished with transverse blades carrying longitudinally disposed proved as efiicient as desired. It has been proposed ,to support within the hopper a closed casing through which passes a stirrer red; the projecting end portions of this rod carryin cross pins, which, as the rod is vertical y reciprocated by means of a rotating crank, stir up the upper and lower portions of the material within the hopper, but no movement is imparted to the central portion of the material.

Now this invention consists in an in proved construction of agitating device which, while adapted to be reciprocated in an up and down direction, is fully exposed throughout its entire length to the material within the hopper, so that the said material may be acted upon by the device from top to bottom so that it will, in the event of any bridging or arching of the material contained in the hopper, occurring, break up suph arching which thereupon collapses and fa ls. l The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whicht Figure 1 is a vertical section of a feeding hopper showing one form of the agitating Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 25, 1913. Application filed June 29, 1911.

Serial No. 636,037.

device for obviating the bridging or packing of material fed thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the hopper showing means for imparting a reciprocating motion to the device in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a part plan of the hopper; Fig. 4 is a part elevation and part. vertical section of a hopper showing another form of the agitating device, Fig. 5 is a part plan of the hopper of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 represents a vertical section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1. V i

The same letters are applied to the corresponding parts in the several figures.

The agitating device shown in Figs. 1-3 comprises a rocking shaft a suitably journaled in theopposite sides of the hopper c and carries near each of its ends within'the hopper two oppositely extending arms I), from the arms depend movable panels which are pivoted at b and consist of members d, and a series of bars 6, which as shown in Fig. 1 are preferably downwardlyjnclined toward the axis of the hopper, and slightly undercut as at e in a manner to facilitate the downward compression of the material. The lower ends of the members may be provided with rollers f or the like, adapted to engage the walls and thereby act as guides during the rocking or reciprocating movements imparted to the panels d.

Below the agitating members, about level with the outlet 0' of the hopper, and above the mouth a stirrer g on a continuously revolving horizontal shaft It may also, if desired, be used in the customary manner.

Such an arrangement is very efficient if there be but one outlet from the hopper, but should there be more than one outlet, it has been found that arching of the material may occur at the bottom of the hopper between two or more outlets, and a steady bulk flow of the material will be interfered with. To obviate this, according to this invention, a transverse screw member or worm z is pro-- vided below the agitating panels and below 100 These alternate movements effectually break 105 up any bridging of the materials that may momentarily arise between the outlets, of the hopper, or an outlet and the hopper wall.

The rocking of the shaft for actuating 110 shaft the movable panels and the rotating of the worm or screw member in the two directions may be effected by means of a single reciprocating rod 70 suitably mounted exteriorly of the hopper, one extremity of which is provided with tap'pets 01' stops k which may be adjustable and are adapted to engage and move in opposite direct-ions one.

end of a lever Z'fixed at its other end to the rocking shaft a. The other extremity of the rod is is provided with a rack in that meshes with a pinion n carried by the worm The rod may be reciprocated by means of a link or bar 0 having one end pivotally connected to the rod is while the other end is in cooperative engagement with a cam 7) driven from any source of power, for instance the power shaft, of the ma-- terial weighing, filling or other apparatus. As the rod is reciprocated it rocks the shaft and turns the worm alternately first in one direction'and then in another.

In the case of a hopper having more than one outlet, there may either be a single agitating device or a series of such devices on the rocking shaft.

In Figs. l-5 the movable agitating panel instead of being arranged alongside-of the sides of the hopper as in Figs. 1-3, is arranged centrally within the hopper. It is shown provided with bars e and at its lower end, is furnished with arms carrying rollers j' which are adapted to contact with the walls of the hopper when the panel is in its lowest position and thereby maintain it in a central position. This central movable panel may be operated in. the same manneras has been described in respect to the side panels, and as it moves up and down it will effectually break-up the crown portion of any arching of the material that may arise and thereby cause the arch to fall in.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the. same into practical effect, I claim 1. In apparatus for feeding powdery and granular materials, the combination of a feed hopper having an outlet toward the bottom thereof, an agitating panel contained within the hopper and embodying a series of vertically spaced transversely ex-- tending bars, and means for reciprocating said panel in a direction toward and from said out-let.

2. In apparatus for feeding powdery and granular -materials, the combination of a feed hopper having an outlet, a pair of agitating panels arranged in opposed relation in the hopper and in cooperative relation with opposed walls, and meansfor reciprocating said panels in directions toward and from said outlet.

3. In a hopper for feeding granular and pulverulent materials, a device for insuring a steady bulk flow of material from the hopper, comprising in combination a rocking shaft supported by the hopper, arms fixed tothe shaft within the hopper, a reciprocating agitating panel pivotally connected at one end to the arms, the panel carrying guiding members adapted to contact with the sides of the hopper and thereby control the position of the panel, and means for rocking said shaft.

4. In a hopper for feeding granular and pulverulent materials, a device for insuring a steadybulk flow of material from the hopper, comprising in combination a rocking shaft supported by the hopper, arms fixed to the shaft, a reciprocating movable panel pivotally carried'by the-arms within the hopper, means for rocking said shaft, a. screw member disposed transversely above the outlet or outlets of the hopper and adapted to be turned in two directions, and means adapted to rock the shaft and turn the screw member alternately in two directions.

In a hopper for feeding granular and pulverulent materials, a device for insuring a steady bulk flow of material from the hopper, comprising in combination a rocking shaft supported by the hopper, arms fixed to the shaft, reciprocating agitating panels, pivotally carried by the arms within the hopper, means for rocking said shaft, screw members disposed transversely each above the outlet or outlets of the hopper and adapted to be turned in two directions, and means adapted to rock the shaft and turn the screw members alternately in two directions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROSS VERNON CRAGGS.

Witnesses:

Josnrn MILLARD, J. W. GATCHING. 

